The significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in idiopathic epiretinal membrane.

PURPOSE: To assess the levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) and to compare the NLR results of patients with iERM and healthy controls. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 43 patients with iERM and 40 healthy subjects. Complete ophthalmologic examination and complete blood count measurements were performed of all subjects. Complete blood counts were performed within 2 h of blood collection. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in NLR between iERM and control groups (p < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed that the value of NLR to distinguish patients with iERM and controls was found to be 0.832. The best cutoff value was 1.90, with a sensitivity of 72% and specificity 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study for the first time provides evidence that subclinical systemic inflammation may cause or at least accompanies iERM using a novel biomarker NLR.

A comparison of N-glycan profiles in human plasma and vitreous fluid.

PURPOSE: To investigate the concentration and composition of N-glycans in plasma and vitreous samples obtained from patients with non-proliferative vitreoretinal diseases. METHODS: Plasma and vitreous samples were collected from 11 patients with idiopathic macular hole (MH) and 9 patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM). The samples were pretreated for enzymatic cleaving, and subsequently glycans released from proteins were captured on BlotGlyco H beads. Sialic acids were methyl-esterified. Processed glycans were tagged with aminooxy-functionalized peptide reagent (aoWR) and released from the beads, followed by detection by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The concentration and composition of N-glycans in the samples were assessed. RESULTS: Concentration of N-glycans in vitreous samples (132 ± 29 pmol/100 µg protein) was significantly lower compared with those in plasma samples (714 ± 29 pmol/100 µg protein, p < 0.001). Predominant N-glycan in both plasma (39.7 ± 1.1 %) and vitreous fluid (37.2 ± 3.1 %) was identical, and the composition was presumed as [(Hex)2(HexNAc)2(NeuAc)2+ (Man)3(GlcNAc)2]. By contrast, the second-ranked N-glycan in vitreous samples (15.6 ± 1.5 %) was the seventh in plasma (2.3 ± 0.2 %). CONCLUSIONS: The current data provide useful information on N-glycan profile in the vitreous fluid, which is distinct from that in the plasma.

Serum vascular adhesion protein-1 correlates with vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with type II diabetes.

AIMS: To study serum levels of soluble vascular adhesion protein (sVAP)-1 in type II diabetic patients with retinopathy. METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 53 consecutive patients, including 14 cases with non-angiogenic ocular diseases, i.e., epiretinal membrane (ERM) and idiopathic macular hole (MH), 19 cases with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and 20 cases with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Protein levels of sVAP-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Enzymatic activity of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) was also measured. RESULTS: Serum level of sVAP-1 showed a moderate correlation with SSAO activity in all cases. Patients with DR had higher levels of serum sVAP-1 than subjects with ERM and MH, or those with AMD; however, severity of DR is not related to the serum levels of sVAP-1. Serum sVAP-1 correlated positively with VEGF in patients with DR, but not in those with ERM and MH, or those with AMD. Neither soluble ICAM-1 nor VCAM-1 correlated with VEGF, even in subjects with DR. CONCLUSION: The current data demonstrate the elevated serum levels of sVAP-1 and correlation between sVAP-1 and VEGF in patients with type II diabetes.

Apelin in plasma and vitreous and in fibrovascular retinal membranes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: Apelin is an endogenous ligand for the angiotensin-1-like receptor APJ. Because apelin has been reported to regulate angiogenesis, the authors searched for associations between apelin and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: The study included 55 patients undergoing vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (study group) and 34 patients undergoing vitrectomy for idiopathic preretinal membranes or macular hole (control group). Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the authors measured the concentrations of apelin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the vitreous and plasma. The expression of apelin and angiotensin-1-like receptor APJ in the excised membranes was examined by fluorescence immunostaining and semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Vitreous concentrations of apelin were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (P = 0.005), whereas plasma concentrations of apelin did not vary significantly (P = 0.66). The vitreous concentrations (P < 0.001) and the plasma concentrations (P = 0.03) of VEGF were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. Neither the vitreous concentrations of apelin and VEGF (P = 0.47) nor the plasma concentrations of apelin and VEGF (P = 0.19) were significantly associated with each other. In the fibrovascular membranes of the study group, colocalization of the endothelial markers CD31 with the markers for apelin and colocalization of the endothelial markers CD31 and APJ was observed. Expression of apelin mRNA (P = 0.03), APJ mRNA (P = 0.02), and VEGF mRNA (P < 0.01) was significantly higher in fibrovascular proliferative diabetic retinopathy membranes than in idiopathic epiretinal membranes. CONCLUSIONS: The apelin/APJ system may be involved in retinal neovascularization during the development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.